Jeers

Monday

Jan 7, 2013 at 2:00 AM

To Bob Aiello, a Saugerties Republican, who somehow managed to turn a statement of support into an insult for the person he was backing and many others as well. In the extremely partisan debate over who would lead the Ulster County Legislature for the coming year, the eventual winner — Republican Terry Bernardo — was opposed by Democrats and received what was described as "tepid" support from her own party. Aiello, asking legislators to give Bernardo a chance to do better this term, said, "You can't make a nurse a brain surgeon in a year." He probably doesn't even understand why that might upset anybody. Perhaps some nurses, or brain surgeons, could take him aside and explain ... very slowly. To Ed Diana, Orange County executive, for once again ignoring the will of the Legislature and bringing back the usual suspect to run the Valley View nursing home. When legislators said they wanted to get rid of the management and replace it with people who would try to make the facility run more efficiently, Diana knew that he had to find a replacement. But he did not, so he has brought back the man whom both he and legislators said they wanted out. Even this temporary appointment delays the important changes necessary to see if the county can run Valley View more efficiently.

To Bob Aiello, a Saugerties Republican, who somehow managed to turn a statement of support into an insult for the person he was backing and many others as well. In the extremely partisan debate over who would lead the Ulster County Legislature for the coming year, the eventual winner — Republican Terry Bernardo — was opposed by Democrats and received what was described as "tepid" support from her own party. Aiello, asking legislators to give Bernardo a chance to do better this term, said, "You can't make a nurse a brain surgeon in a year." He probably doesn't even understand why that might upset anybody. Perhaps some nurses, or brain surgeons, could take him aside and explain ... very slowly. To Ed Diana, Orange County executive, for once again ignoring the will of the Legislature and bringing back the usual suspect to run the Valley View nursing home. When legislators said they wanted to get rid of the management and replace it with people who would try to make the facility run more efficiently, Diana knew that he had to find a replacement. But he did not, so he has brought back the man whom both he and legislators said they wanted out. Even this temporary appointment delays the important changes necessary to see if the county can run Valley View more efficiently.